I understand that most people would just like to see something on the riverfront between the two stadiums, but if this truly the "front porch" of the city and as important as they say it is, let's build something that doesn't look like something you might find at the Deerfield Towne Center.

When I first saw the renderings, I don't even remember my reaction. I must have totally glossed over them in ambivalence. (Or I was still reeling from the new Cincinnati.com website, but that's another post.) They look nice and all, but...

In the story comments, quimbob links to some old renderings, circa 1999, I believe, of The Banks way back when the idea first surfaced. I remember these drawings, now that I look at them. Somehow they feel better. Maybe it's just the texture - I guess rendering software has advanced a lot in the last 10 years. But notice the triangular block with the fountain in the second picture, a characteristic you might find in an East Coast neighborhood that grew organically over time. I don't get that feeling from the new drawings.

You can see all the old renderings by clicking on the first one here, and then changing the filename in the URL.

4 comments:

I've been critical of the whole design, but will be glad when its done, I'm really hoping it will fade and slowly merge into the fabric of downtown. Then I read Blakes post;"No matter how amazing or cheap the design. It will never live up to standards of Cincinnatians that live in drywall boxes."

I like the Rec Center.But I wouldn't want every building on the Banks to look like it.I guess you can make some of the people happy most of the time or most of the people happy some of the time......What ever they do, in five years hopefully everyone will think it just belongs there

It looks like most other buildings/developments of this sort that are going on all over the country. While I would like this to be something truly unique and a true identity statement for Cincinnati it just most likely isn't going to be...and you know what, I'm not sure that's necessarily a bad thing either.